INTERVIEW: Rare earth recycler IonicRE accelerates US expansion plans

Rare earth recycler and mine developer Ionic Rare Earths is accelerating its expansion into the US to capitalize on strong government support for building a sustainable and secure supply chain for rare earth elements.

In a recent email exchange with Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, IonicRE CEO Tim Harrison said that China's stringent export restrictions on rare earth elements and their associated downstream materials, components, and related technologies have prompted the US government to accelerate efforts to develop alternative supply chains.

On July 10, MP Materials Corp., the owners of the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California, signed a public-private partnership with the US Department of Defense to establish a domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets.

"The US government's support for MP Materials was the biggest watershed moment for western rare earth supply chains and shows the leadership that has been sought for some time," he wrote, adding that the UK and Europe will need to follow suit or risk being left behind.

The US has depended on China for the vast majority of its rare earth supply. According to the US Department of Commerce, China controls nearly 60% of rare earth mining operations, over 85% of processing capacity and more than 90% of permanent magnet production. China also holds a similarly dominant position in the processing of other critical minerals, such as lithium, copper, cobalt and graphite.

"The US government is now exploring several options to establish a resilient rare earth supply chain, with a focus on magnets and heavy rare earths," Harrison wrote. "That is perfect for IonicRE and confirms our approach that now is the time to accelerate efforts into the US market."

Magnet recycling

Harrison noted that the importance of recycling rare earth magnets in providing a secure and sustainable supply of rare earth elements is gaining recognition among governments and OEMs.

"I think governments and industrial partners have worked out the path to immediate sovereign capability is recycling to help them build their own domestic supply capability for rare earth permanent magnets," Harrison wrote.

Harrison added that the US government is looking for "domestic projects" that can deliver domestic rare earth magnet production within three years, an undertaking that can only be achieved through recycling.

"Rare earth mines typically take 19 years to develop, and billions of dollars of investment coupled with scale-up and technical risk," he wrote.

Among its diverse portfolio of assets, Ionic operates a magnet recycling demonstration plant in Belfast, through its UK subsidiary, Ionic Technologies International. The facility focuses on producing high-purity neodymium and dysprosium rare-earth oxides with purity levels exceeding 99.5%.

"We are commercialising magnet recycling and, based upon the IP developed with Ionic Technologies in the UK, we are now looking to hyperscale the technology into western markets, looking to de-risk their own domestic magnet rare earth supply chains, he wrote.

On Nov. 10, Ionic announced that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with miner and metals recycler US Strategic Metals (USSM) to support the development of a rare earth permanent magnet recycling facility in Missouri. According to Ionic, the facility will produce NdPr (neodymium and praseodymium) alongside a range of heavy rare earths, including dysprosium, terbium, samarium, gadolinium, and holmium.

Harrison wrote that the Missouri facility will enable the company to establish an initial US recycling footprint within a short timeframe, adding that the company is already exploring additional opportunities.

"Beyond what we are doing in Missouri with USSM we are discussing other opportunities in the US with other partners who want the benefit of our technology advantage integrated into their supply chains," he wrote.

In addition to its recycling operations, Ionic holds a 60% stake in the Makuutu heavy rare earth project in Uganda and has recently established a 50-50 joint venture with Viridi Mining and Minerals in Brazil for a refinery and magnet recycling facility to process rare earths from the adjacent Colossus rare earth project.